About time!
‘We have two lives, and the second begins when we realise we only have one’
I first came across this quote last year and it resonated profoundly and deeply within me. It appeared when I needed to see it most - a jolting reminder that there’s no time like the present to make the most of this precious, fleeting life and to live fully connected to the heart and its desires.
It also seemed to be imploring, taunting me even - demanding to know why I was waiting for some mystical time in the future when everything was perfectly aligned, to act. I’m sure it also caught my attention as it encapsulates, in such a succinct way, what Fifty Thrive is all about, and why it’s so important to me (and possibly you).
Yet despite its powerful message, a cascade of challenging and transformative events in 2023 distracted me (see other posts), so unsurprisingly, it got put on the back-burner for another time.
Now as we leap into spring, I find myself thinking about this quote once more as it bubbles back into my consciousness - it’s not given up on me yet, I think to myself! Though I suspect that even if I did ignore it, it would find a way to nudge me again and again until I relented.
I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this calling in midlife. I know that for many of us, and myself included, that life at this time often feels physically and mentally draining, overwhelming and lacking in joy.
There’s a restlessness that stirs at this time of peak transition and change for women, and often a voice inside that whispers at first then eventually shouts; ‘if not now, when’!
Lately I’ve begun to feel this shift even more powerfully - like a series of small tremors that rock the foundations before the big one strikes. And there’s been some visceral signs too from the universe cajoling me into action.
The first one hit hard.
I found out last week that a woman who I was friendly with at school has been diagnosed with a glioblastoma (an aggressive brain cancer). Sadly we lost touch after we left school so I heard about her illness through the media as she’s a well known author.
I still can’t quite believe that this amazingly talented woman in the prime of her midlife is now dealing with a life threatening illness with such a grim prognosis. It was another reminder about how precarious life and good health is, and that your own sense of invincibility is sometimes misguided and fragile. I should know, as I had my own personal experience of this nearly 10 years ago, which I’ll share with you another time. Perhaps that’s why this news felt so piercing and raw.
Though that wasn’t the only sign…..
Recently we had my sister-in-law and her daughter and friend to stay with us in Portugal. It was a great excuse to emerge from behind the laptop, escape the deeply depressing news cycle, and go out into the world to explore new places with curiosity and a sense of adventure.
The joy and pleasure of using all the senses to observe, discover and experience real life happening in the moment made me realise just how important these connections and interactions are to me - and how I missed them. A life lived in real time not on reel time!
The youthful energy and company of my nineteen year old niece and her friend was a reminder too of just how jaded I’d become as a midlife adult burdened down with responsibilities. It made me realise how easy it is for our energy, lightness and sparkle to be sucked out of us by busy, functional living, and what’s going on in the world. The toll of recent events had, for sure, done that to me.
Talking to the teenagers about life and their ideas seemed to re-energise and reconnect me to my own nineteen year old self and her sense of excitement about what life had in store. I wondered what she would make of me now, and what she’d say to me to help me live life more courageously and magically.
It struck me too how refreshing it was to get out of the midlife women’s bubble and witness life through the experiences and perspectives of others, be they younger or older than us. I believe we can learn so much more about ourselves when we connect across generations, something I want to foster more of.
As you can see the universe really has been quite busy recently showing me the way forward - encouraging me to become more of a thrive seeker (I’ve long given up being a thrill seeker!)
Slowly I’m becoming more focused and intentional about how I live life with a renewed spirit and energy, so I can enjoy my one precious life experience in my own unique way.
So, if you’re feeling a bit world and life weary right now, I encourage you too to look for the signs - both within you and around you.
What are the moments or events that seem to be nudging you towards living a more intentionally joyful life? Are you listening to them or trying to ignore them? You know life is precious too, so don’t give up on yourself!
What I’ve found is that starting doesn’t have to be daunting - you can begin with small, simple and free steps - micro moments of thrive that fire up your soul and reconnect you to your own personal joy.
For me, last week, it was taking photos of colourful buildings and little details I spotted during our exploring, and being by the ocean inhaling the air and listening to the waves crashing onto the beach. These moments were kindle to my soul. And just doing these simple things has given me a greater impetus and excitement to seek out more, and to aim bigger and bolder.
And if that wasn’t enough, I read that this April is the best time in 14 years for manifestation according to experts, something to do with cosmic alignments! And okay, while I’m a little cynical about all of that, I’m willing to at least give it a go.
So I’m off to sit in the sun with a glass of wine and start dreaming about what I want on my 60 things to do before I’m 60 list (yep, I'm on the wrong side of 55 now!!)
Who knows, maybe Jupiter and Uranus will somehow cosmically align and work their magic to make all my wishes come true!
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.”
Such wise words by the incredible wordsmith and writer Maya Angelou….
I hope you enjoyed this post and it got you thinking about how you can find your thrive - everyone’s is different - as I like to say there are fifty shades of thrive! Please also share it with anyone you think might benefit from reading it…
I’d love to hear you thoughts on this topic or any ideas or tips about thriving you can share with others.
And watch this space - my Fifty Thrive website and shop are coming soon………
I’m also putting it out here that I’m now practising what I preach and am open for guesting on podcasts or collaborative work / play around midlife thriving!
Beautiful piece Emma! So wonderful to hear you enjoyed he girls company, says so much about you that you make space to soak them up and learn from them and vice versa!